Could You Love Me

Could You Love Me {XXXV}

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

"So, what are we getting into tonight?" Dean questioned, sitting down at our lunch table.

I got a weird sense of deja vu at his questioned, remembering how our night at the Snake Pit ended up the last time he asked that. But it was Friday so of course we had to be doing something. To us teenagers, not doing something was just unusual.

"Probably a party, like always." Imogen spoke as if it was obvious.

"Problem is which one though?" Archer retorted.

"I think the best one tonight is definitely Mike's." Chase replied.

"I don't want to party." I said quietly to Axel, lying my head on his shoulder.

Going back to school was hard enough, I didn't think I was ready to go back to my old partying ways so fast, especially since the last one I went to had such a bad outcome.

"We don't have to go." He offered, his lips pressing against my forehead, which didn't go unnoticed by Imogen.

Her crazy woman smile telepathically telling me she was going to explode.

"No, you should go. Don't let me ruin your fun." I teased, looking at him as I lifted my head from his shoulder, feeling slightly guilty.

"As long as I'm with you, I have all the fun I need."

Cue the annoying blush.

"So, are you two in?" Dean questioned, looking at us from across the table.

"No I think O and I are gonna lay low tonight. Not really in the partying mood." Axel responded nonchalantly, squeezing my knee reassuringly under the table.

I only had one word for myself,

blessed.

***

"Nina, don't eat the cookie batter." Axel groaned. "It's not cooked."

Nina and I shared a look before looking at Axel, both of us simultaneously sticking our fingers back in the cookie batter.

"And my mom thinks you're the good influence." Axel scoffed light heartedly, shaking his head.

"Hey, I am a great influence. Right Nina?" I argued.

"The best!" She responded, making me smirk as Axel rolled his eyes, snatching away the bowl of cookie dough.

"I was only supposed to be babysitting one child tonight, not two."

Axel and I were watching Nina while Tammy and Eric were out on a long overdue date.

I stuck my tongue out at Axel, causing Nina to laugh and him to narrow his eyes at me.

"Set the timer for twenty five minutes, Nina." Axel said, making Nina scramble off her chair, racing to the counter to set the timer.

"I think you should take a shower now, you have cookie dough in your hair." I laughed, pulling the pieces out of her hair.

"Okay! Can you get my towel? I can't reach it." She questioned, bouncing with joy as she held onto my leg.

"Of course." I smiled, swooping her up into my arms, resting her on my hip.

I caught Axel staring at us, a smile on his face, causing me to wink at him before jogging up the stairs with Nina.

I grabbed her towel, handing it to her as I turned on the water, making sure it was at a warm medium.

"You're good to go." I announced before leaving her bathroom, walking back down the steps.

I didn't see Axel anywhere, making me knit my eyebrows in confusion. I let out a shriek as I felt arms around my waist, pulling me down on the couch with them.

I turned around to find Axel, a mischievous smirk on his chiseled face.

I moved so I was straddling his waist, his hands grasping my hips as I leaned down connecting our lips, running my fingers through his hair. I let out a shaky breath as he bit my lip softly, moving my lips to his jaw. His fingers gripped my waist tighter as I kissed his neck, his lips parting as he let out a breath.

It felt so wrong to be making out while Nina was home, but sometimes things like that made the thrill more thrilling.

My heart raced as I felt him kiss my neck before grazing the skin with his teeth, my waist subconsciously lowering to his. Axel let out a raspy groan at the sudden contact before his hands lifted my waist from his, causing me to look at him in confusion.

Shit.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed, softly pulling me closer to him and off his friend.

"Oktober with everything that happened to you in the past and recently, I don't want to go ... there just yet. It's not that I don't want to, because I do, it's just I don't want you to feel like that's what I'm here for because it's not. I just want you to be truly ready, and I don't think that's right now."

I smiled, my heart picking up a few paces as I laid my head on his chest, intertwining our fingers.

"Thank you." I whispered. "For everything."

I felt him lean down to kiss my forehead.

"Anything for you, darling."

***